Gnats and fruit flies in the kitchen are very common problems for most of us. If you are dealing with these tiny nuisances, then I'm sure by now that you are very ready to learn how to get rid of them. Many of us, either have pets, children, or both and want to think about a more natural and nontoxic way of doing this. Plus, who feels like they have a clean home with bugs flying everywhere?
These little pests basically have a free all you can eat buffet in your kitchen. They are feeding and breeding I might add, from not only the decaying food in your drain, but the soil in your plants, fruit that's left out, trash, dirty dishes, and food material that hasn't been wiped off the counter fully. Fungus gnats love damp areas due to fungal growth and what better spot to find those areas, than in your kitchen! These places are perfect for them to continue to grow their annoying little family, over and over again. Basically, we are just creating a free bed and breakfast for them, but receiving no five-star reviews.
How do I stop them from coming back?
Where do we start, you might be asking yourself? First off, we want to start by eliminating the source. These pests are drawn to something in your kitchen, and we need to find out what it is. Let us start by throwing away any rotten fruit, running the garbage disposal with hot water, cleaning and emptying your trash cans, and letting the soil of your indoor plants dry out before watering them again. You should also check your soil for any mold; if needed, you can use hydrogen peroxide as a quick and effective way to get rid of larvae, killing them on contact. Mix four parts of water with one part of hydrogen peroxide and soak your soil with the solution. Don't worry plant lovers, this will not harm your plant babies.
How do I rid of the ones that are already in my home?
Apple cider vinegar and dish soap in a small ramekin, or container. You will want to put some plastic wrap on top and poke small holes to allow the insects to go through, but then muahaha, never come out. This will be due to them getting trapped in the solution created. Make sure that you aren't using too much soap though, because they are drawn to the sweetness of the apple cider vinegar. A small amount of soap goes a long way.
Vinegar Trap
1 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine
Several drops of liquid dish soap
Small container
Plastic wrap
Stir in some water, making sure that they suds up a little bit...the bubbles help to trap the fruit flies or gnats.
You will want to place these in areas where you see a lot of action. Soon enough you will see the little buggies un-alive themselves in your solution. You can empty them out as much as you like, but it is nice to keep track of if you are getting any new ones or not. If you don't see anymore, great, and if you do, make another trap!
Why do they keep coming from My Kitchen Sink?
If you’re noticing gnats that keep coming from your drain, your sink is a perfect nesting ground for them to live and reproduce. Even when you don't see them after a deep clean, you may still have some larva that hasn't fully matured. Pouring bleach down your sink and using boiling water will not only kill the adult gnats but the larva as well. However, bleach isn't always the go-to product for a lot of us. If you happen to fall into that category, then vinegar and or hydrogen peroxide will do just as good of a job. The cool thing about hydrogen peroxide is that once it has come into contact with the flies, it will start to foam up. Isn't science the coolest!?
CONCLUsiON
The smallest of things can be the most annoying, especially when they are nonstop flying right in front of your face and landing in your glass of wine! Just no spacial awareness whatsoever. That being said, we now have a pretty easy way of ridding our kitchen of these flying freeloaders and keeping them away. If ever we see just a couple around and we have been doing all of these steps, then a few drops of essential oils like peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus in a spray bottle with water will do the trick. Just spray them and poof. A natural but mighty, on-contact fruit fly & gnat exterminator.
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